Consent Mode advanced vs basic: which should you use?

Google Consent Mode comes in two implementations. Both start from the same place – every consent type denied until the visitor chooses – but they differ in whether Google tags load before that choice. Omea Consent supports both; advanced is the default.

The short answer

	Advanced (default)	Basic
Google tags load	Immediately, with consent denied	Only after the visitor consents
Before consent	Cookieless pings – no cookies read or written	Nothing is sent to Google
After consent	Full measurement	Full measurement
Conversion and behavioural modelling	Yes – Google can model visitors who decline	Less modelled data
Strictness	Pings carry no cookies, but do reach Google	Nothing reaches Google before a choice

Choose advanced if you rely on Google Ads bidding and GA4 reports and want Google to fill the gaps from visitors who decline. Choose basic if your data protection officer or legal adviser wants no request to reach Google before consent. In the plugin’s own words: “Some data protection authorities treat even cookieless pings as needing consent. Pick Basic if your DPO prefers it.”

How to switch

1. Go to Omea Consent › Settings › Advanced.
2. In the Google Consent Mode v2 card, choose Advanced or Basic.
3. Click Save changes.

Consent Mode itself stays on either way: the denied defaults and the updates on every choice are always sent.

What basic mode covers

In basic mode Omea Consent holds Google tags until consent in three ways:

• Google tags you pasted into Scripts already wait for their category in both modes.
• Omea Consent Pro’s Google tags switch to waiting: GA4 after Statistics, Google Ads after Marketing, and GTM after any consent.
• gtag.js or Google Analytics added by your theme or another plugin is held too – if auto-blocking is on. Without auto-blocking, code from elsewhere is not touched. See Stop WordPress setting cookies before consent.

What changes on your cookie policy

The cookie policy that Omea Consent generates follows your choice. In advanced mode it adds a paragraph explaining Google’s cookieless measurements before consent; in basic mode that paragraph is left out.

How to tell which mode is running

Open your site in a private window with the browser’s network tab open and filter for collect. In advanced mode you’ll see Google requests before you click anything, with gcs=G100. In basic mode you’ll see none until you accept. More in How to check Google Consent Mode v2 is working.